The province has unveiled a new phone app for police to use when responding to someone facing a mental-health or addiction-related crisis.
Mental Health Minister Jennifer Whiteside and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announced the app with a $2 million budget Wednesday morning (March 6) in Port Moody. The app, HealthIM, is set to launch in Port Moody on Thursday, but has already been in use in other police jurisdictions, such as Delta, Surrey and Prince George.
Farnworth said HealthIM guides a responding officer through a series of questions to help the officer understand the behaviour of the person who is in distress, providing “valuable insights into how to support individuls with prior police interactions.”
According to Whiteside and Farnworth, HealthIM will help police officers assess individuals in crisis by connecting officers with health care providers.
The government has said that one-in-five interactions with police in B.C. involve someone with a mental health disorder.
“Thanks to this new technology, police can work with health-care professionals to make assessments and respond faster with more information, ensuring appropriate support to those in need,” Whiteside said.
Delta police officer James Sandberg said the detachment has been using the app since October 2019.
As for when it’s used, Sandberg said if Delta police officers are in a situation where someone could be apprehended, the use of the HealthIM platform is mandatory. He added that Delta police also asks its officers dealing with a person who is “apparently suffering from a mental disorder,” but most likely won’t be apprehended, to use the assessment tool through HealthIM if the person would benefit from a referral.
He said that as officers have become more comfortable using the program, it’s allowed them to make “better decisions” when taking someone into custody.
The responding officer inputs the data into the app, which is then sent to the designated hospital. From there, it gives the hospital staff time to prepare for the patient, while the HealthIM system also translates the officer’s observations of the patient into the proper clinical language.
Natalie McCarthy, Fraser Health’s vice-president of regional care integration, said it’s about teamwork and communication between health-care professionals and police.
“Do we need to free up a space for that individual in a particular area of our care environment? Do we need to ensure particular staff are available? And are there things that can be communicated to us that are comforting, supportive and helpful for this individual that we can have in place to make sure that that transition goes as smoothly as possible?”
RELATED: COVID-19 has depressed mental health of Canadian youth
The system does not replace existing training for police officers, when dealing with individuals experiencing mental-health or addiction emergencies, but promises to be another tool to improve interactions.
In July 2023, the province announced Mobile Integrated Crisis Response teams would be funded in nine additional communities. Also known as Car program, the teams pair a police officer with a health-care professional to respond to mental health calls.
Whiteside said the HealthIM app wouldn’t replace the crisis teams, but those teams could use the app as an additional resource.
Anita Furlan, vice-president of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police, said she welcomes the app.
“Law-enforcement officers frequently serve as the first line of response to emergency mental- health crises,” Furlan said. “Ultimately, this system not only safeguards the public, police, medical staff and individuals in crisis, but also fosters a safer and more supportive community for all.”
Sandberg said with the funding through the association, it costs about $1 million per year for all police departments to access the app.